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The history of film comedy would have been much altered if Peter Ustinov had stayed in the role of Jacques Clouseau, the bumbling French police inspector in The Pink Panther. But Ustinov dropped out, the role went to Peter Sellers, and a classic character was born: suspicious, blundering, with a pompous little mustache and a sometimes impenetrable accent, Clouseau was always one step behind everybody else in the room. The Pink Panther introduced Clouseau hot on the trail of a famous jewel thief (David Niven), who may be planning to make off with an expensive gem known as the Pink Panther. Set in a European ski resort, this bubbly comedy is a wonderful dose of '60s style, from the famous Henry Mancini theme music to the presence of two of Europe's top sex symbols of the era, Claudia Cardinale and Capucine. The film also introduced the popular cartoon Pink Panther, slinking around to Mancini's music in an animated credits sequence. The film's success brought a follow-up, A Shot in the Dark, also released in 1964; after 11 years, Sellers and top comedy director Blake Edwards (10) returned with three more sequels. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (38)

My Favorite Panther
Which Pink Panther/ Inspector Clouseau film is your favorite? I can't really decide between THE PINK PANTHER and A SHOT IN THE DARK. My heart is really with THE PINK PANTHER because I saw that in the theatre first. THE PINK PANTHER was really an event for me. It was such an 'in' film at the time. To me David Niven is really the main character of this film and he brings a lot of himself to the role, which elevates the distinction of the film quite a bit. Niven is the personification of class. The great cast also includes Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Brenda de Banzie and Fran Jeffries (with choreography by Hermes Pan). Besides the cast I also did like the score composed by Henry Mancini. The Pink Panther Theme will live forever. Mancini was a true professional. Plus it has beautiful great outdoor scenery, photography and elegant sets, which makes it very likable and memorable in a way strangely akin to Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF. The costume ball (costumes by Yves Saint-Laurent) was a real showstopper and is one of the most memorable scenes of all time. This is a highly visual told film. For me this is the best Pink Panther film.

Oh my, who was she?
agree with the last reviewer on the scene in the alpine lodge. The girl was indeed beautiful and the scene was perhaps the one I remember the most and the one I look forward to seeing over and over again(and the one I always replay at least once). However, the object of this review would have to be the movie itself.

This was perhaps the only movie that I enjoyed with Peter Sellers as Clouseau. His depiction as the bumbling inspector in Pink Panther was superb. It's unfortunate that he decided to change his style with subsequent Panther movies.

As usual, David Niven was equally magnificent as the "cat burgler" with Capucine and Robert Wagner equally enjoyable in their roles. For those who have not seen this movie, it centers around the eventual attempted theft of the Pink Panther - a jewel of immense value. It belongs to a Princess (portrayed by Claudia Cardinale) who obviously comes from some ficticious Muslim country whose enemies of her regime wishes the bauble be returned to the people. The acting is first-rate as is the cast of this fantastic comedy. It is one of those movies I enjoy over and over again and never tire of it's showing. Of course, I will always enjoy the scene in the alpine lodge, as well as the young lady who performed so magnificently and one who I have had a crush on for far too many years.

No! Not The Stradivarius!
This, the first of the exquisite Pink Panther series, is an amazing film. To know that originally Peter Ustinov was cast to play Jacques Clouseau as a straight, inept French detective is a sobering thought. After Ustinov dropped out, of course, Peter Sellers got the role and after consultation with Blake Edwards, decided to make him not only inept, but also bumbling and accident prone, a characterization that defines how we think of Clouseau today. This film is interesting in that since it is the first of the series it is interesting to see the origins of the character, and how different he is here than in later 'Panther' films. Here is clumsy and prone to pratfalls, but is less flamboyantly slapstick than in the later films.

The film also stars the wonderful David Niven, who plays the perfect suave English thief, and a very young Robert Wagner as his equally debonair nephew. Female stars are the beautiful Claudia Cardinale and Capucine, two of the top European actresses and models from the era.

The movie is a bit more sedate than the later films in the series, but still is one of the funniest movies of the sixties. 'A Shot In The Dark', also released in 1964, as the first sequel, began the transformation to the later formulas with additions such as the wonderful Herbert Lom. 'The Pink Panther' does introduce the animated 'Pink Panther' short for the first time, as well as the often imitated, never duplicated title theme. Other viewers will have their own favorite scenes, and the costume party is surely one of the highlights of the film, but for my money the best scenes in the film revolve around Clouseau trying to woo his wife by playing his Stradivarius violin, over many protestations. The look of pain on David Niven's face during his playing is worth the price of the film alone

If I were doing it today, I would buy this DVD as part of the multi DVD 'Pink Panther' set, where it also includes a few interesting bonuses such as a 'trivia track', which adds great tidbits about the film.

Peter Sellers was a comic genius, and the world still waits for another genius of his stature. I think we will be waiting a long, long time.

Not what i remember.
David Niven, (Sir Charles Lytton) and Peter Sellers (Inspector Jacques Clouseau) star in the Pink Panther, the first in a pretty successful but flawed series.

I was really looking forward to seeing this when I popped it in my dvd player, I have good memories of the bumbling Clousea but wasn't aware that his character didn't really take shape till the next film "A shot in the dark", subsequently I did not enjoy this one and found it rather boring and unfunny. I will give the sequel a chance however as, from what other reviewers have said on here, they are far funnier and contain the Clouseau that I remember.

As far as this one goes, it was boring. The scene with Niven and the princess in his room went on forever, I ended up hitting eject soon after and watched the excellent Wuthering Heights instead.

Thanks for reading, but give the next couple a chance as I will do.

Better as a self-contained movie
Than as the start of the Panther series. Too many questions arise:

1)Where is Chief Inspector Dreyfuss in all this?

2)How is Clouseau ever going to be a cop again if he was convicted of diamond theft?

3)Where is the former Mrs. Clouseau in Return of the Pink Panther?

4)Where is Cato in this film?

And many others. Too uneven. ... Read more

Reviews (105)

The Pivitol Battle of the Pacific War
In June, 1942, the United States uncovered Japanese plans to invade the island of Midway, located only 1100 miles from the Hawaiian islands. This fine film brings this great battle to life.

An all-star cast, including Charlton Heston (Capt. Matt Garth), Henry Fonda (Admiral Chester Nimitz), Glenn Ford (Admiral Raymond Spruance), Hal Holbrook (Commander Joseph Rochefort) and Robert Webber (Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) turn in fine performances as the men who would ultimately win the battle and turn the tide against the Japanese. The Japanese actors do a fine job as well portraying such officers as Admiral Yamamoto and Admiral Nagumo.

The battle scenes, especially the American dive and torpedo attacks against the Japanese fleet, are excellent. Real battle footage is also included, and if you watch close enough, you may even see some scenes from "Tora Tora Tora" in the footage.

One part of the film that I didn't care very much for was the love relationship between Matt Garth's son Tom and a Japanese/American girl. I felt that this was unnecessary and didn't really contribute anything to the movie. Overall, however, I thought this was an excellent film. The battle scenes are top notch, and the attention paid to historical fact is evident throughout the film, right down to Joe Rochefort's smoking jacket and bedroom slippers.

I've seen this movie several times on VHS, but this was the first time I saw it on DVD. The widescreen format made me feel like I was in the theater. I highly recommend this fine war film. Watch this film and experience the turning of the tide in the Pacific.

Poor sound, over-edited
Midway as originally filmed is one of the great movies of all time. This DVD is not.

Problem #1: I have one of the best sound systems you can buy. The sound goes up and down and up and down on this DVD. You have to hold on to the remote just to be able to stay in the room with it because some combat footage is too loud, and other dramatic discussions are too low in volume.

Problem #2: My wife grew to hate this move somewhere around 1990 because on the veteran related holidays, a good 4+ hours were lost to watching this movie. Others claim that the original was over 5 hours. I'm very disappointed with the 2+ hour version. I want to see it all.

The manufacturer needs to do something to get us the complete movie. They won't, though, becuase they have to redo the sound for the DVD, and that's expensive.

One of the better historical WWII movies

A good friend of mine (and a contemporary) rode in the backseat of a dive bomber at the battle of midway. He's dead now, like three quarters of the men who fought in World War Two. Can you imagine riding backwards in a dive while the people below are doing their best to kill you? Unless you've been there, probably not.

This is, historically, one of the most accurate portrayals of the war. One critic complained that "the writing was weak. There was no suspense at all in the film." Perhaps there'd have been enough suspense if he'd been there, like Bill. But Bill survived the battle and died of old age, so I can't ask him about whether he felt any suspense, although we talked a lot about the battle of Midway.

In the film, they used top notch actors. For "Bull" Halsey they used Mitchum. Not a look alike, but of course Bull's dead, too, and Mitchum did a good job. Heston, of course, represented a fictional character (Matt Garth), but virtually all of the names of people in the film were real men who fought a real battle, and it was the turning point of the war. After Midway, we took a lot of lumps, but they were on the run from that point on.

Of course Hollywood took some liberties, and since they used a lot of actual combat shots, some of the aircraft used were out of place (F6F "Hellcats" for F4F "Wildcats" several times, and the ditching scene where Ensign George Gay went in showed a "Hellcat" instead of the TBD Douglas torpedo bomber that he actually flew. And the shot of the "Hellcat" being torn apart on the carrier's island was well-known footage from the technicolor documentary, The Fighting Lady, which was shot on the old Enterprise during battle, with narration by Lt. Robert Montgomery (qv). Garth's (Heston's) fictional son was supposed to be flying it in the film, but it was an actual crash on board the "Big E", in an actual battle. "Hellcats" (F6F) were Grumman fighter planes (the big brother of the "Wildcat" (F4F) which was obsolescent when the war started, but in use at the Battle of Midway--as was the old Brewster "Buffalo") and the F6F never saw combat until late 1943 (on my birthday, as a matter of fact.) The battle of Midway was in June of 1942, six months after Pearl Harbor.

It helps when you know a little history. For instance, Ensign George Gay actually did ride out the battle in the water, after he ditched, and was debriefed personally by the commander-in-chief, pacific fleet (CINCPAC), Admiral Chester Nimitz. He was the only survivor of his torpedo squadron, VT-8 (torpedo squadron 8).

Altogether, when you see this picture, you are watching history (as near as Hollywood will ever get to it), and many of the people who died to entertain today's movie audiences are named in the movie.

So, try to overlook the lack of a plot, at least in the battle sequences. History wrote them, not Hollywood script writers.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

All-Star Cast. Ultimate invasion of Midway Island.
This story is set in June 1942, six months after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Includes the all-star cast of: Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, Ed Nelson, Monte Markham, David Macklin, Christopher George, Robert Webber, Kevin Dobson, Edward Albert, Pat Morita, Dabney Coleman, Erik Estrada, Tom Selleck, Robert Ito, Steve Kanaly, Kip Niven, Clint Ritchie (ABC serial "One Life To Live"), Frank Parker (NBC serial "Days Of Our Lives"). The main cast can be seen acting with stock footage from THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO and some old Japanese war films. However, some actual wartime footage of the real combat is incorporated into this film. The actual war footage was filmed in color by navy photographers and by the cameras mounted on fighter planes in 1942.
Filmed in the same manner as EARTHQUAKE (1974) and ROLLERCOASTER (1977) and in "Sensurround". "Sensurround" was a new sound system set up for specific films only that would make the sounds in the film seem realistic to you. The sound was balanced and came at you all around. You would hear the sound of an earthquake, riding a rollercoaster or being in the middle of a battle. Very few films were made in "Sensurround" and was only a gimmick in the 1970's. Small theaters benefited the most. Nowadays, we have sound systems in our own modern homes that come at us from behind and the sides. Disneyland rides use a sound system similar to "Sensurround".
A special television version runs four hours with commercials. It includes new scenes NOT shown on video or in the theatres. It includes new scenes with an additional cast NOT seen in the original version, Susan Sullivan, Richard Sanders, Noel Conlon, Don Dolan, Richard Sarradet, Alec Smight, Miiko Taka and William Wellman Jr. The extended tv version includes a Charlton Heston-Susan Sullivan romance and the scenes of the Coral Sea battle is played out. At the end of the television extended version, Susan Sullivan and Christine Kukobo are both shown waiting at dockside.
I think this film was meant to be a tribute to those Americans who served.

Just slightly over-edited
Our USMC squad went to the 'World Premier' at Luneta Theatre, Manila, Philippines. Midway WAS a Full-length FEATURE movie-then. It was near 5 hours long. Our sixes burned from seating.
>These days the once good, and quite long Midway has been edited-down from it's feature film status, a 5, to the new 2+ hour typical 'Hollyweird' shortened edition, a true waste of unreplaceable WWII Pacific footage, though actually faked. According to The NAVY, there were NO USN photojournalists with color motion-picture cameras at or near Midway, and actual Naval Aviators names were changed, and most colorized motion picture photography was filmed at The Battle For Leyte Gulf.
>Some carrier shots depict the ESSEX-class carriers designed POST Midway, and produced in 1943. "Universal" left-out several hours of video footage. Midway should be near 4-5 hours. ... Read more

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Wild Things is the kind of lurid, trashy thriller that you'll either dive into with unabashed pleasure or turn away from in prudish disgust; it's entirely your choice, but we suggest the former option since it's obviously much more fun. The plot's so convoluted it's hardly worth describing, except to say that it's set in humid Florida and involves a respected high school teacher (Matt Dillon--yes, Matt Dillon as a teacher!) who is faced with accusations of rape by a student (Denise Richards, from Starship Troopers) who had been giving him the kind of attention most people would consider improper for such a "nice" young lady. Another student (Neve Campbell) raises a similar charge against the teacher, and that's when a police officer (Kevin Bacon) begins to investigate the allegations. Just when you think the movie's gone overboard with its shameless sex and absurdly twisted plot, in drops Bill Murray as an unscrupulous lawyer (of course) to spice things up with insurance scams and welcomed comic relief. As directed by John McNaughton (who has a way of making just the right moves with this kind of film noir melodrama), Wild Things is a bona fide guilty pleasure--the kind of movie you may be ashamed to enjoy, but what the heck, you'll enjoy it anyway. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (203)

Neve Campbell steals the show
Wild things is an easy movie to love. It tells the story of a Blue-Bay highschool teacher ( Dillon ) who is been accused for rape by two of his female students , spoiled rich kid Kelly ( Richards ) and drug-addict basketcase Suzie ( Campbell ) . Did he really do it ? The script provides more than just a yes-or-no answer during the one and a half hour the movie lasts . It includes a little more than a few plot twists and manages to constantly suprise us and turn things around. In addition to all that this is an extremelly well-made film , surely one of the sexiest movies you'll ever get the chance to see.The love scenes are simply sensational , steamy yet never cheap.All the members of the cast deliver some good perfomances but eventually it's the two girls who stand out. There's a first-class chemistry between Campbell and Richards . Campbell gives her best perfomance yet as confused freak Suzie.She totally crashes her next-girl image and prooves she's capable of playing many different kinds of characters with equally good results.It's actually weird that after that role she disappeared from the spotlight when one might have excpected that then was the time where her star would rise even higher.Denise Richards is really charming as Kelly Van Ryan too.She's one more person i hope i'll be seeing more in movies in years to come.Also great are many of the supporting roles.Bill Murrey , Daphne-Rubin Vega , Theressa Russel and Robert Wagner have all been smartly casted in roles they seem to fit perfectly with their physique . Director McNaughton knows how to handle all the above and achieves to make a movie you won't feel bored with for even a second.Let yourself free to enjoy the guilty pleasures of this film which combines crime , corruption and sexuallity so succesfully you'll have to see it twice to believe it.

This movie left me saying WOW
Wild Things is one of the most draw dropping movies I've ever seen. It had so many twists and turns I had to see it again to believe what I had seen earlier and had just seen again.

Matt Dillon plays a high school counsler at a high school in South Florida. He is well respected and loved by the students. He is really loved by his student played by Denise Richards. She likes to him to a very dangerous point. She later accuses of him of rape to the local cop played by Kevin Bacon along with another student played by Neve Campbell. Matt's character is hated by the community and he hires a lawyer played by Bill Murray to defend him. However, the movie turns into a story of sex, murder, and betrayl that like I said earlier will leave you saying "WOW" and have you watching it again.

Denise Richards is absolutely crazy in this movie. I couldn't believe this was the sweet innocent girl I had seen in Starship Troopers. Denise, Matt, and Neve shoot a soft porn in the movie when they do a three some. I couldn't believe it. I think this is the best acting Denise has done in her young carear. She is a beautiful woman and I love her to death. Most guys become a fan of her from watching this.

Kevin Bacon has a nice role in the film. It's one of the better performances of his carear. I hate his character in the movie. He plays a huge role in the film though, and Bacon liked this movie so much he helped produce it.

This is a different kind of role for Matt Dillon in the beginning of the movie. However, by the end he won't disappoint his loyal fans as he returns to the kind of character he typically plays.

I liked Wild Things. It's an insane sexual thriller. If nudity is not your thing I would not get this movie. Nevertheless if you want to see a movie with a ton and twists and turns this is it. Men will really like Denise in the movie. But like I said this movie will leave you saying "WOW" and will have you watching at again.

Keeps you guessing
...that's for sure! This movie really does keep you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don't and are very far from the truth. It has so many twists in the plot that you really do have to pay close attention to it the first time you watch it or you will miss something vital to understanding the ending. I liked it mainly because I thought I had it figured out but when the end came I was totally wrong. I enjoy movies that are unpredictable, which this one most definitely is. The movie is cast well. It includes Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, and even Bill Murrey. I think as far as casting goes the actors were prefct for the parts. Matt and Kevin play somewhat bad guys, which don't they usually. Neve Campbell plays a strange girl from the wrong side of the tracks and just nails the part. I like this movie and would recommend it to those that like a good ending and maybe some of you that want to see Neve Campbell making out with Denise Richards. Not my favorite part, but I know many guys would enjoy that scene.

Best Movie Ever!
This is one of the greatest movies ever made. Its has a mixture of fighting,cat fighting,drowning,betrayl,lieing,decieving, and just everything that makes a movie good. I would reccomend this movie to anyone.

Trash of the Gods!
"Wild Things" is a gloriously lurid and decadent little gem of a movie. I love movies that respect the intelligence of the audience while pandering to their base desires (most studio releases skip that first part), and "Wild Things" fits the bill perfectly.

The plot is - well, the plot is twisted, in every sense of the word. The story that seems to be unfolding ends at the halfway point of the movie - and then the real story begins. And in a technique I've never seen before, it continues through the ending credits, as director McNaughton gleefully fills in the holes.

"Wild Things" offers great, juicy turns from Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, and especially Bill Murray as a hilariously corrupt small-time lawyer. Along the way we get lots of steamy, lurid peek-a-boo sex and nudity (which is so gratuitous it inspires genuine laughter), violence, and characters motivated by nothing more than pure greed. Put 'em together in the Everglades, and you have one hot movie.

I generally don't like movies that mess with the audience by hiding information, and then springing it on them later as a "twist." But twists work beautifully if the character is just as befuddled by them as the audience. Since "Wild Things" offers nothing but characters who think they have secrets and alliances but are actually only pawns in a game, every twist is justified.

This new "unrated" version incorporates scenes that aren't necessary, but are joyful anyway. If you have the original cut and you've got the money to throw around, go for it. If you haven't seen it, well, it's probably not for anyone. But if the thought of a wicked little Hitchcockian melodrama, dripping with sex and humor and directed with a wink, appeals to you, you can't go wrong with "Wild Things." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Friendly witness to a changing West.
'Broken Lance' has many admirers, and there are many good things about this sober Western. The film has been called an updated 'King Lear' - an all-powerful, tyrannical father unwisely cedes control (land) to his children, all turning against him except for the youngest, who is the most ill-used - but the adaptation is loose and mercifully unliteral: there are no raging storm scenes or impertinently wise Fools, just a grandeur-exuding atmosphere of a great man and the power he created declining. Though filmed in Fox's ugly Technicolour - that muddy colour that would be called 'lurid' if it didn't yearn for the respectable - there is an intelligent compositional eye, filling the landscape with dramatic and symbolic imagery. The prologue is particularly striking - a moody young man, Robert Wagner, released from three years in prison, rejects a financial offer by brothers eager to be rid of him. The journey he takes into the past is one of progressive decay and danger - first he is forcibly brought to the governer, in whose building gleams an imposing portrait of his father. When he visits his father's land, with all its traces of former activity abandoned, he is shot at from a distnace by a man who turns out to be an Indian friend -- the surreal shot of a seemingly self-standing gateway in an empty plain points to the importance of this sequence, as a kind of mythical portal into another realm; when he finally enters his family home, it is a ghost house, a gothic ruin, its dereliction shrouded in shadow. Like the films noirs with which director Huac Dmytryk made his name, the movie begins with an end; a heavy air of fatalism hangs over the subsequent long flashback.

What probably most appeals to fans is the film's (relative) political sophistication - as a backdrop to the usual Oedipal structures is a portrait of the West as it moves from a mythical plane into the modern era. It especially highlights two problems that would blight the nation in the next century - race and advanced capitalism. Spencer Tracy is an Irishman whose second wife is the daughter of a Cherokee chief. He is too important a landowner to ignore, so the locals refer to her as Spanish; the wives of these friends are nevertheless terminally indisposed whenever he gives parties. Of his four sons, the elder three from his first marriage, his favourite is the youngest, Wagner, through whose eyes the film unravels, and on whom centres the crises of race (he is a half-breed who loves a WASP whose father disapproves) and property. The actual catastrophe of the film occurs when a copper company on Tracy's land dumps refuse in his river, poisoning his herd. A fight at their headquarters, in part sparked by a racist comment directed at Wagner, leads to a court case, to offset the risks of which, Tracy is advised to divide the land between his sons. The old pioneers who tamed the land have been superceded, leaving only division and hatred in their wake.

You have got to admire a Western that interweaves its themes intelligently and without sensation (although a ridiculous coda stand-off between two brothers nearly ruins the good work). The restrained use of music and the insistence on stillness (intimating burgeoning violence) adds a maturity to the action. The treatment of the Indians is sensitive for the time, with the relationship beween Tracy and Katy Jurado clearly signalled as a loving and positive thing. The title indicates the film's theme, the (1950s?) failure of authority, family and masculinity.

Still, I found the film unsatisfying. This is partly due to miscasting - Wagner is too wooden to carry the film's moral weight; his role should have gone to the nervy, brilliant Richard Widmark, riveting as his resentful older brother who finally turns against his father's abuse. But it is mostly due to the stodgy direction which often confuses the sombre with the plain slow. Compared to the similarly-themed 'Gunman's Walk', 'Lance' lacks verve or true insight. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Best of the Titanic movies!
I don't remember when I saw this the first time,But I much prefer it to its highly hyped 1997 successor. I rented the video the other night and still sniffled at the end. I would imagine most viewers don't know that it won an Oscar.(For best screenplay,I think.) My mother was just thrilled with the very young Robert Wagner. Does anyone know what happened to Audrey Dalton??? One of the best "minor" characters had to be Richard Basehart as the defrocked priest. and wasn't that Edmund Purdom(uncredited) as "Mr Lightoller? Barabara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb were excellent too. Characters much more clearly drawn than in the 1997 version. Class distinction is not as hokey as Jack and Rose. Was Thelma Ritter supposed to be "Molly Brown"? I think the effect of the film in black and white works very well(NO COLORIZATION PLEASE!)

OSCAR should have been aboard THIS ship......
One of my all-time 10 favorite movies (along with ALL ABOUT EVE, GONE WITH THE WIND, AUNTIE MAME, Jane Wyman's THE BLUE VEIL, Garland's A STAR IS BORN, CABARET, Lana Turner's career highlight in MADAME X, 1939's THE WOMEN, and 1953's SO BIG) THIS is the only version of TITANIC anyone should want to keep in their collection of classics. This is the one that should have been an Academy Award champion.....and it is a sin that Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck not only didn't win 1953 Oscars, but were not even nominated. Ditto the wonderful performance of the greatest supporting actress in movie history, Thelma Ritter, as the indomitable Unsinkable Molly Brown. I will never forget the hysteria in Barbara Stanwyck's voice as she screamed "Norman! Norman!" when she realized her young son had slipped out of their life-boat to remain with his dad as the ship sank.....nor the tears in Clifton Webb's eyes when he told the boy what pride he felt for him as the end drew near. Please, don't anyone tell me there was an ounce of reality in the blockbuster, phony '97 version.....This simple black & white movie told the REAL story of the very rich and the very poor suddenly equalized in the face of disaster. And I dare you not to smile as millionaire John Jacob Astor reassures his young, pregnant, second wife with the immortal words "My dear, God himself could not sink THIS ship"......and I defy you not to cry when old Mrs. Strauss refuses to board a life-boat, saying "I've been with Mr. Strauss for more than fifty years....I don't intend to leave him now." This is a classic. This is THE classic. And these people, brilliantly portrayed by brilliant actors, become the ones who were really aboard the TITANIC in 1912.

Literary License Keeps Movie Afloat
We know the ship is going to sink, and we can read the committee reports, history books, and other sources to find out the details of what happened in 1912. This movie presents an innovative plot line that keeps our attention. Importantly, the film also preserves the essential truth of the Titanic disaster: 1,500 people died needlessly on account of arrogance and overconfidence.

THe Best Titanic Film Ever
Aside from the great acting, the special effects, music and staging are supurb. It is much more believable than the most famous Titanic movie and will be remembered long after any others. Buy it and Enjoy

Titanic with heart
I remember crying over this film as a kid, and sitting absolutely unmoved during James Cameron's feelingless epic. True, "A Night To Remember" is more accurate, but if you're one of those people who want to count the windows on the promenade deck, buy a documentary. Unlike some reviewers who can't possibly understand the character's actions during the sinking, it is about dignity and courage, something missing from other depictions of the story. The cast are flawless, and the story of a shallow family's realization of meaning brought about through tragedy is age-old and timeless. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Top-Notch Adaptation of Danielle Steel's Better Novel
When I was 13, I began reading Danielle Steel novels. Most follow the same path and offer few variations. So when Jewels was released, I did not buy it right away. Then I saw the miniseries on TV and knew it HAD to be part of my library, both video AND book library.

Why? For one, Anthony Andrews is the perfect fit for his role. For fans of Andrews, one only has to remember that he played King Edward VIII in The Woman He Loved and what an excellent job he did in that role. He was also stunning in The Scarlet Pimpernel and Ivanhoe, and period pieces seem to suit this well-trained actor. Annette O'Toole is also well-cast as the strong-willed American woman who falls in love with the man in line for the crown (granted, he is 13th in line for the throne).

The story provides all the Steel conventions, but it does not seem old-hand when staged in this movie. Even if you are not a fan of Steel's work, the story is compelling.

Other Danielle Steel adaptations pale in comparison to Jewels. This is by far the best adaptation of her work. The blossoming of love, the separation of war, the agony of loss, the trials and tribulations of parenthood, the reinvention of one's self, the survival of one family. Great entertainment!

A Great family story
I really enjoyed Jewels. This movie demonstrates courage, strength, and love. Jewels shows how a family can go through a rough time yet it can overcome any obstacle.

A Great Mini Series...
I will admit to having a fondness for the tv movies adapted from Danielle Steel's books. Jewels, in particular, is one of my favorites and I have only one question. When are these great stories coming out on DVD. I have quite a few of the videos but would gladly toss them over for DVD replacements. I heartily IMPLORE the powers that be to release all her movies on DVD format. And I wouldn't mind seeing more of her books adapted into movies. She writes such fun, adventurous love stories!

Bradley Cole
The Guiding Light star was great in his whole, ten or so, minutes of the movie. It was fun to see him as a "bad boy"

A wonderful story...So many decades, characters, events!
The amazing thing is my husband loved this one, too! We hated to see it end! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This enjoyable and touching biography of martial-arts film star Bruce Lee stars Jason Scott Lee (no relation), an actor with a lively face and natural intensity, who makes every moment of this film compelling. Directed by Rob Cohen, Dragon traces Bruce Lee's slow rise over myriad obstacles--most of them race-based--to become an international superstar in films. Lee's origins are oddly set in San Francisco instead of his real home in Seattle, but then again there is plenty of artistic license going on as Cohen explores the actor's psyche through some powerful fantasy sequences. Lauren Holly is good as Lee's wife, Linda (whose book about her late husband inspired this movie). A scene involving Bruce's rescue of son Brandon (who died in a filmmaking accident in 1993) from a murderous spirit is plain spooky. The special-edition DVD release has a widescreen presentation, director interview, featurette, screen tests, closed captioning, optional French soundtrack, and optional Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (79)

A life worth remembering
Rob Cohen's DRAGON THE BRUCE LEE STORY is the best film that Bruce Lee never made. Though Cohen recounts the man's life in some kind of chronological order, he doesn't simply "tell it like it was", preferring instead to visualise Lee's major achievements in terms of his philosophy and beliefs. Therefore, alongside the development of Lee's martial arts techniques (demonstrated in a series of increasingly fluid fight sequences) and his relationship with his wife and children, Lee's inner demons are personified by way of a spectral Ming warrior who seems to intrude on his everyday reality, prior to claiming him forever in 1973 at the age of 32. Perhaps the film's major triumph is the fortuitous casting of Jason Scott Lee in the title role, giving the performance of a lifetime under what must have been hugely difficult circumstances, and he dominates a fine cast of supporting players, including newcomers Lauren Holly and Sterling Macer, and veterans Robert Wagner, Michael Learned and Nancy Kwan. Universal's region 1 DVD is a replica of their 'Signature Collection' laserdisc, and is probably the last word on this exceptional film. Presented in glorious Panavision widescreen (though not, alas, anamorphically - the disc's only real flaw), the images are solid and colorful, and Randy Edelman's evocative music score is well-served by the Dolby Digital soundtrack. There's a wealth of extras, too, including the obligatory (but very welcome!) trailers, production notes, star profiles, and an eye-opening director's commentary which manages to bridge the difficult gap between education and entertainment. The "Making of" documentary could have been longer and more detailed, I suppose, and it took me ages to figure out that the storyboards and photo-gallery sections could only be manipulated using the chapter-skip function on my remote control, but the disc is otherwise an essential purchase for anyone even remotely interested in the subject matter. All in all, a worthy tribute to the enduring legacy of a remarkable man.

Well Meaning, But Too Over the Top
This well-meaning but flawed film purports to be about the life and times of Bruce Lee, the intense, talented actor and martial artist who died tragically all too young. There is dispute over the biographical truth of the film, which is really neither here nor there, as the film seems far less interested in delving into Lee's biography than it does walking a strange line between drama and melodrama. Though he doesn't much resemble the real-life Bruce Lee, star Jason Scott Lee tries hard to capture the actor's raw power and charisma, with mixed results. He's best in the film's quieter moments, when the sincerity of his face gives the film much-needed grounding, and worst when his frenetic facial expressions and frequent shouting border on camp. But this probably isn't Lee's fault, as the film itself drifts in and out of wanting to be taken seriously and wanting to be a pseudo-chopsocky matinee, all to an often-syrupy music score. Co-star Lauren Holly is believable as Lee's caucasian wife, who struggles with him against racism that comes from so many in society--even her own mother. It is here that the film works best, illustrating the humiliation and degradation of anti-Asian racism that Lee, who simply wants to be recognized as the American he is, endures from fellow Americans, even after achieving his fame. A particularly clever--and dead-on accurate--scene reveals the isolation and thoughtless prejudice that Asian Americans frequently face: amidst a crowd of whites roaring with laughter, Lee quietly suffers Mickey Rooney's grotesque yellowface characterization in the critically-acclaimed "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Had the film focused more on meaningful emotional pyrotechnics like these, rather than the frequent, goofy interplay between Lee and a symbolic Mongol warrior, it might have captured the essence of the man instead of his onscreen persona. Like "Boogie Nights," it would have risen above the obvious exploitive qualities of its subject matter.

Inspiring
"Dragon" is an epic depicting the life of Bruce Lee. In my opinion, it is one of the most entertaining biopics of recent times. It follows the life of Bruce Lee from his childhood in Hong Kong to right before his death. The DVD version is particularly interesting because it comes with a few interviews that really shed light on Bruce Lee the man. This movie doesn't just focus on his martial arts, but it also shows his life as a family man, and an American. I found his struggle against racism to be the most moving point in this movie. Prior to Bruce Lee, the roles of Asians in Hollywood were restricted to laundrymen, villians, and caricatures. Through his effort and self-confidence, Bruce was able to make Asians into Hollywood heros. Suddenly Asia was cool.

Jason Scott Lee does a great job of portraying Bruce Lee and it's a shame that we can't see more of him these days. You can really feel the power of his performance on the screen. If you have any interest in Bruce Lee, you have to check out this film. It's sure to inspire you to reach for your own impossible dreams.

"Dragon" REVIEW
Biographical pic of martial arts legend Bruce Lee (inspired by a novel written by his widow) is as intruiging as it is exciting. The film follows Lee from his arrival in the United States to showcase his transformation from a shy bus boy to an international movie icon. Along the way, we learn about Bruce's decision to bring Jeet Kun Doe to the Western civilization despite heavy objection from his peers. "Dragon" is also treated as a love story as director Rob Cohen shows us the origins of Bruce's romance with wife Linda. While Cohen uses a great deal of artistic license in telling the "true story" of Bruce Lee, it certainly makes for one hell of an impressive movie. Randy Edelman's first-rate musical score is the icing on the cake.

Not a documentary, just a great movie!!!!
Director Rob Cohen intended this movie to be an entertaining and thought-provoking homage to Bruce Lee and his wife Linda, not a historical re-enactment. As such, the movie only follows the outlines of the real Bruce and Linda Lee story. And the movie is definitely as much about Linda as it is about Bruce. It is as stirring a love story as any other put onto the big screen in recent times.

For all those hyper-Bruce Lee fans who have panned this movie, I have just one thing to tell you - watch the DVD version with the Director's Commentary turned on. You might learn a thing or two about the real Bruce Lee story. Yes, Rob Cohen's commentary track is worth it all by itself to get this DVD, because he discusses many of the changes made in the movie from the real story, and explains why he made the changes. He doesn't have time to explain everything, but he covers a lot (e.g., the deletion of Seattle from the storyline came about because the Univ. of Washington pissed him off with their refusal to allow him to film on campus, so he just scratched out the entire city and changed it to San Francisco). Along the way, he throws in a number of little historical gems, pointing out things in the movie that might have been put in for dramatic effect but in fact really did happen (e.g., Linda's mother making the comment to her about "having yellow babies" - Linda's mother, who was still alive, actually signed a release to allow herself to be portrayed this way).

Anyway, here's why this movie is great:

1. It is one of the first of the few major Hollywood movies ever made that depict an interracial love story of a Chinese/Caucasian couple where the Chinese person in the story is a MAN. Even today, Hollywood still seems to be much more comfortable with putting cute Chinese women matched with Caucasian leading men onto the big screen.

2. The movie really emphasizes the racial discrimination aspect of the Bruce Lee story, for example, bringing out to the general public the real story behind how David Carradine got the TV show "Kung Fu" (Carradine became very defensive about this part of his acting resume after this movie came out). Cohen dwells on this racism aspect more so than either Linda or Bruce Lee ever did in real life. Most likely, they preferred to ignore the racism and rise above it rather than draw attention to it. It's great that themes like this finally get explored in movies.

3. Jason Scott Lee is terrific. He's bigger and buffer than the real Bruce Lee (who at 5' 7" was shorter than my teenage daughter) And he's a better actor. And no, he's not as quick as the real Bruce Lee, but few people ever were, and for somebody not trained in the martial arts, he sure did a great job of faking it. Unfortunately, since this movie, Jason seems to have undergone a Bruce Lee experience of his own - after making a few more major movies, his career has started to fade from the big screen as more "authentic" and bankable (in the Asian market anyway) Chinese actors such as Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat take over Hollywood's slot for Asian leading men.

4. The soundtrack by Randy Edelman is terrific (if somewhat repetitious). One of the most beautiful parts of the movie was the scene where Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly go through their balletic kung-fu excercises in perfect unison to Edelman's stirring score.

5. Lauren Holly is terrific. She too is a Hollywood improvement on the original. For one thing, in the movie, although she cuts her hair short after marriage, just like the real Linda Lee, her hair never takes on the 60's - era puffed bun look of the original Linda Lee (geez, was there ever a more horrible hairstyle than the puffed bun). For another, her role is much more aggressive and pro-active, more of a proto-feminist from the 90's. The ending of this movie makes it seem as if she was close to leaving Bruce Lee to return to the U.S., whereas the real truth was that Bruce Lee at the time was already traveling back and forth to the U.S. as well as all over the world, and it would have been far more likely that he would have been the one to spin out of her orbit as he scaled the heights of international superstardom.

This is not just a movie about Bruce Lee, it is a great and moving love story. Listen to Director Rob Cohen again as he talks about the final scene in this movie, when Jason Scott Lee gives a good-bye kiss to Lauren Holly and then climbs up the stairs to the Han Island movie set:

"When I look at this scene, no matter how many times, I still get choked up.... Part of it is that how much these people loved each other. Part of it was how beautiful they were together, and what a stand they made for their time. Part of it is that, as he's finishing this film, he's finishing his life, and we know it and he doesn't.....I wanted to give the homage of his fellow martial artists to the great image, the great work, the great place in history of Bruce Lee....to see him again, mythically, legendarily, above and eternal, in motion, never stopping, always kinetic, and always with us." ... Read more

Reviews (8)

My favorite B-17 movie
This has always been my favorite B-17 movie because of one scene, when McQueen buzzes the CO's office with his bomber because he's angry about being sent out on a leaflet drop mission. The rest of the movie is also great but the B-17 scenes are awesome, rivalling that other B-17 classic "12 O'Clock High". If you liked that one, you'll like this one.

There is romance in "The War Lover" but it isn't over done, the movie is still great despite it.

War Lover
Simply stated, this is more than just another McQueen movie. The War Lover offer dynamics that are frequently missing in so-called war/action movies. This movie is ideal for men who love action and the believable drama of the airwar over Europe - in this case the role of the pilot of your father's B17 Flying Fortress. Hollywood would be wise to create a rerun of this great flick.

Highly recommended.

Early Michael Crawford
Every Mc fan should have this one. You could see, even then, that he's a natural.

McQueen makes the "The War Lover" an excellent film.
Steve McQueen's ability to heighten a character's reality makes "The War Lover" and enjoyable film. The war scenes with the B17's adds to the excitement and value of this movie. By the way this movie is available at America's largest retailer for [price] plus shipping.

McQUEEN RISES ABOVE MATERIAL
"The War Lover" is another war film with a love triangle at its center. This time Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner and Shirley Ann Field are the lovers caught in the web. However, McQueen's unique style and the excellent aerial photography of the B 17s on their bombing runs are this film's greatest assets and make it a must for lovers of this genre. This is a British film and it looks and feels like it, which only adds to the authenticity. Highly underrated and forgotten these days. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Best of the Titanic movies!
I don't remember when I saw this the first time,But I much prefer it to its highly hyped 1997 successor. I rented the video the other night and still sniffled at the end. I would imagine most viewers don't know that it won an Oscar.(For best screenplay,I think.) My mother was just thrilled with the very young Robert Wagner. Does anyone know what happened to Audrey Dalton??? One of the best "minor" characters had to be Richard Basehart as the defrocked priest. and wasn't that Edmund Purdom(uncredited) as "Mr Lightoller? Barabara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb were excellent too. Characters much more clearly drawn than in the 1997 version. Class distinction is not as hokey as Jack and Rose. Was Thelma Ritter supposed to be "Molly Brown"? I think the effect of the film in black and white works very well(NO COLORIZATION PLEASE!)

OSCAR should have been aboard THIS ship......
One of my all-time 10 favorite movies (along with ALL ABOUT EVE, GONE WITH THE WIND, AUNTIE MAME, Jane Wyman's THE BLUE VEIL, Garland's A STAR IS BORN, CABARET, Lana Turner's career highlight in MADAME X, 1939's THE WOMEN, and 1953's SO BIG) THIS is the only version of TITANIC anyone should want to keep in their collection of classics. This is the one that should have been an Academy Award champion.....and it is a sin that Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck not only didn't win 1953 Oscars, but were not even nominated. Ditto the wonderful performance of the greatest supporting actress in movie history, Thelma Ritter, as the indomitable Unsinkable Molly Brown. I will never forget the hysteria in Barbara Stanwyck's voice as she screamed "Norman! Norman!" when she realized her young son had slipped out of their life-boat to remain with his dad as the ship sank.....nor the tears in Clifton Webb's eyes when he told the boy what pride he felt for him as the end drew near. Please, don't anyone tell me there was an ounce of reality in the blockbuster, phony '97 version.....This simple black & white movie told the REAL story of the very rich and the very poor suddenly equalized in the face of disaster. And I dare you not to smile as millionaire John Jacob Astor reassures his young, pregnant, second wife with the immortal words "My dear, God himself could not sink THIS ship"......and I defy you not to cry when old Mrs. Strauss refuses to board a life-boat, saying "I've been with Mr. Strauss for more than fifty years....I don't intend to leave him now." This is a classic. This is THE classic. And these people, brilliantly portrayed by brilliant actors, become the ones who were really aboard the TITANIC in 1912.

Literary License Keeps Movie Afloat
We know the ship is going to sink, and we can read the committee reports, history books, and other sources to find out the details of what happened in 1912. This movie presents an innovative plot line that keeps our attention. Importantly, the film also preserves the essential truth of the Titanic disaster: 1,500 people died needlessly on account of arrogance and overconfidence.

THe Best Titanic Film Ever
Aside from the great acting, the special effects, music and staging are supurb. It is much more believable than the most famous Titanic movie and will be remembered long after any others. Buy it and Enjoy

Titanic with heart
I remember crying over this film as a kid, and sitting absolutely unmoved during James Cameron's feelingless epic. True, "A Night To Remember" is more accurate, but if you're one of those people who want to count the windows on the promenade deck, buy a documentary. Unlike some reviewers who can't possibly understand the character's actions during the sinking, it is about dignity and courage, something missing from other depictions of the story. The cast are flawless, and the story of a shallow family's realization of meaning brought about through tragedy is age-old and timeless. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you don't think Austin Powers is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came.Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shagadelic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate-kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, behave! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (451)

This Is My Kind Of Happeing And It Freaks Me Out
That's a qoute from Mike Myers in Ausitn Powers: International Man Of Mystery. I must say it's the funniest most clever comedy I've ever seen. Much better than Casino Royale. Myers plays the swinging secret agent of the 60's Austin Powers who is a groovy sexy fashion photographer by night and international man of mystery by night. He after his arch nemisis Dr. Evil also played by Myers, an uptight square out to take over the world. Dr. Evil freeze himself up in outerspace in 1967. Austin offers to freeze himself in case Dr. Evil ever returns. Thirty years later, in 1997 Dr. Evil was back and they must get Ausitn unfreeze Austin so he can stop Dr. Evil's sinister plan of world domination. Incredibly funny flick, even funnier if you've seen the James Bond series. Myers duo roles are both hilarious in their own way. The Movie also stars Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Mimi Rogers and Carrie Fisher. Austin Powers is a must see for all ages. It's shagnificent baby, yeah!

Hilarious, influential movie gains little from DVD
I should note here that people who have not read many of my reviews might be insulted at the rating. I never give a DVD release of an outstanding movie more than three stars unless buying the DVD gets you significantly more than just seeing the matinee. In other words, the special features are worth two stars.

"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" catapulted Mike Myers onto the Hollywood A-list from the "former Saturday Night Liver trying to make it" list. Taking a broadside at James Bond lore and adding Myers own inherent goofiness along with a tragic period in fashion history gives Austin Powers, a British secret agent/fashion photographer/music star. Unlike James Bond, Austin is extremely goofy, bespectacled, possessed of wretched teeth, and bad at any game. Of course, he still gets the girl. His nemesis: the frequently funnier Dr. Evil, an obvious copy of Bond villain Blofeld. Dr. Evil's marginal competence provides an ongoing source of laughs.

The plot (as it were) centers around a bit of cryogenic time travel so that Austin is displaced out of his time, providing a (pleasantly) surprisingly small number of fish-out-of-water gags. The movie's real drive comes from the unique cast of secondary characters: Seth Green's Scott Evil, Mindy Sterling's Frau Farbissiner, Robert Wagner's Number Two, and the unforgettable Alotta Fagina (figure out who THAT is a parody of). Elizabeth Hurley is also in the movie, and seems to be a pretty good sport. While this movie would ultimately be outshone by its first sequel, it remains an influential and often-referenced work.

The DVD is a mediocre package. The commentary track is a dead air-rich bore, (I think Mike Myers and Jay Roach were new at this gig. The track on the sequel is much better) and the deleted scenes are better than average, which is to say mediocre. Most deleted scenes should stay so. Additionally, the transfer quality on these scenes is terrible.

AUSTIN POWERS THE FIRST TWO
VERY VERY VERY FUNNY, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT IN FULL SCREEN VERSION.

Yeah, Baby
Austin Powers is one of the funniest characters to ever grace the screen. The spy spoof movie series is fantastic and it all started with this hit movie.

Austin Powers is pretty simple to follow. Dr.Evil(Myers)has escaped from his cyro-genetics and is now in the 1990's. He has plans for world domination and his evil empire is doing great since he was frozen 30 years ago. The world can't let Dr. Evil rule it, so Austin Powers(Myers) Englands greatest secret agent is unfrozen from his cryo state and sent to stop Dr.Evil. He is not alone as he has the beautiful Vannessa(Hurley) there to help him bring down Dr. Evil.

Mike Myers is a comic genius. Very few people in the world can match his comic intelligence. This movie is fantastic. Myers wrote the perfect script with this movie and it's hilarious. You have to love how much this movie spoofs spy movies.

When you think spy movies you think James Bond. The spoof of Bond in this movie is done to perfection. From the costumes, music, characters, it is all there. Other spy movies are spoofed in this as well like Our Man Flint. If you love spy movies you have to appreciate this movie and the way it pokes of fun of them.

I liked Elizabeth Hurley in the movie. She is absolutely gorgeous in the movie and this role works for her. She is to often a miscast in her moives and her sex appeal is suppose to carry her. It's not much different in this, but she fits the characters personality and this is the best role she has ever played.

I love all the cameos in this movie. Like all the great movies with former SNL cast members this movie is jammed full of cameos of Hollywood stars. You have Will Ferrell, Ceri Oteri, Rob Lowe, Carrie Fisher, and Tom Arnold to name a few. I get a kick out of it everytime I watch this, because I almost always see something new.

The DVD extras are good. There are some alternate endings and deleted scenes. There is commentary from Myers. The special features are decent.

This is a great movie. It's comedey at it's best and it has all the elements of the genre. It's one of the best ever made. If you love comedies you have to pick this one up and the same if you like spy movies. If you haven't seen this go get out from the rock you've been living under and prepare yourself for a good time.

Satire of all 'swings' Sixties
It would be worthless for me to repeat what other reviewers have said here before me, as regards the fun spoofy plot and the thoroughly enjoyable crass humor. I'll add that it's a bit of a classic, great fun especially if you already know Blow Up, early 007 movies, and A Hard Day's Night.

I just want to mention that the VHS issue has on it several extras... alternate endings and deleted scenes (including one of the excised Rob Lowe scenes, although not the one in which Lowe is shown as a henchman inside Dr. Evil's lair... Asian audiences got to see that version).

Good, silly fun, but too much sexual content for kids under 13. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Not bad, not good...
I think this film is not bad, but its also not verry good... the previous Pink Panther (iven Trail), had Peter Sellers in it, and HE was one of the reasons that the films were succesfull. Now in this one, because the producers cooldn't find any other usefull material of Sellers (like in Trail), they deside to show a Clouseau-like, Clifton Sleigh (awfully played by Ted Wass), a New York Policeman, whoose been chosen to found ChiefInspector Clouseau. The wrong point to this film, is that the central character of this film, is a anone and uninteresting character. This alone is VERRY BAD POINT of the film There are good things here of course, like the re-teaming of NIVEN-WAGNER-CAPUCINE to their roles from the original PINK PANTHER film. Herbert Lom's outstanding Dreyfus is here. And theres a cute and amusing cameo that you love to see it all over it again Overall, a good movie

why not
we all know if peter sellers were alive there would have been more "great" pink panther movies but come on people this movie is great.it's loaded with laughs and they did a great job working around the abtsense of sellers.

so underated but a very good movie
you should get this movie. one of the greatest movies of the series.

ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD
Those of you who are saying you don't like this movie because Sellers isn't in it have good reason. Sellers is the only true Cluseau. Still, get over it! He's gone! He's not coming back! And if you ask me, Edwards did an extremely good job making a Cluseau comedy with no Sellers. Sure, this new New York detective could never measure up to Sellers, but he did a great job trying. Get this movie. It's actually pretty good.

"Curse" Is Right!
No one was clamoring for another "Pink Panther" comedy after the death of Peter Sellers, but writer-director Blake Edwards wasn't listening. The result was this morbidly unfunny farce, with an unbilled appearance by Roger Moore as Clouseau (after plastic surgery, of course). "Curse of the Pink Panther" remains largely forgotten, and rightly so. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

No doubt, BEST DISASTER MOVIE EVER!
Firstly, this movie deserves praise for Faye Dunaway's dress that she wears throughout the entire film. But movies shouldn't all be beautiful women in provocative clothing, this movie has it all. Produced by Irwin Allen, who produced "The Poseidon Adventure" before this movie. Allen bested himself in this flick.

The story is relatively simple; the world's highest skyscraper catches on fire. There is a large party on the top floor, and we watch as people fight for survival as the fire creeps towards them. Only Steve McQueen playing a streetwise firehouse captain, and Paul Newman acting as the tower's architect can stop the fire before everyone inside dies. As I was re-watching this film I couldn't help but think of the similar situation faced by many in the 9-11 attack. Their result was not as positive.

throughout the film there are too many people, too many relationships, and too much death to keep track of everything. However, the important people to watch are Fred Astaire, Faye Dunaway, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen. This is the only real weakness to the film.

Also, for a film that is approaching 30 years old the special effects are still good, and that will make this a good film for a long time. The images of the tower burning, the fires, and the stunts are superb.

At times, the acting in this film can seem a bit stiff. That's early on, however after the first 20 minutes of the film everyone seems to find their place in the film. One of the notable performances is done by O.J. Simpson, who plays as a senior security guard. The interplay between McQueen and Newman is also well done, especially since there was a good chance of major dorkdom in the architect of the "perfect" building versus the blue-collar fireman plotline.

Some may complain that the movie is slow, and maybe by modern "immediate gratification" standards it is, I say that the tension builds, you care about the characters, many of which, and are left at the end of your seat. And I was watching the thing on a computer; imagine what a decent entertainment system will do.

This definitely is an "essential" film.

An epic disaster film! Not to be missed!
I remember first seeing this movie at a very early age. As a child, I loved this movie for it's spectacularity. As an adult (sort of), I love it for the acting performances of it's marvelous cast.

This is a disaster movie. During the seventies this type of movie was extremely popular, with timeless hits such as "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Airport".
Disaster films seemed to have lost their appeal during the eighties but recent hits like "Armageddon" and "Titanic" show that this type of movie is still very popular and here to stay.

In San Francisco, the tallest building in the world, "The Glass Tower" has finally been completed. An awesome superstructure and the new icon of the city.
On the night of the dedication ceremony on the 130th floor a seemingly harmless fire erupts fifty floors below the partying crowd. When the situation grows out of control their pleasant happening turns into a nightmare struggle for survival.

With some of the best actors of that time (Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway and Fred Astaire to name a few), true drama and an absolutely convincing inferno this movie deservedly took the world by storm!

Got a Match?
Somebody once asked James Garner's character on "The Rockford Files" TV show if there was nothing he wouldn't do for money. He wouldn't kill for it and he wouldn't marry for it, he said, other than that he was pretty much open to suggestions. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen must have been open to suggestions when they ok'd this turkey, and I wish they had said no. The world's tallest skyscraper is burning due to shoddy construction work, and architect Newman and fireman McQueen would like to put it out before the entire cast is incinerated. On top of the building are a million gallons of water in reserve Newman forgot about in all the excitement. Why this 2500 ton weight hasn't gone crashing into the basement we are not informed but the daring duo manage to blow up the tanks and there's your happy ending. O J Simpson rescues a cat and Fred Astaire, after a lifetime of giving the American movies some of their greatest moments, was awarded an Oscar for enduring this production.

A better film than is often assumed
More than 10 years ago, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel did a special edition of their program that examined "The Early '70s: The Last Golden Age of American Film." It was a great show, with a look at each nominee for the Best Picture Oscar for the years 1970-1974, and then which film Siskel and Ebert would have chosen as the winner.

When the duo got to 1974, and a split screen revealed the five Best Picture nominees for that year, Ebert expressed some amusement at "The Towering Inferno's" nomination, when compared with the others ("Chinatown," "The Conversation," "Lenny" and the winner, "The Godfather Part II."). But while it was not the best film in a truly great year for the medium, "Inferno" did deserve to be considered one of the best.

This is polished, professional filmmaking. It was not intended to be a scathing expose of construction politics, or an actor's showcase. "The Towering Inferno" never tries to be anything more than an action spectacular, pure and simple, and on that level, it has few equals.

The film has been criticized for being almost gleeful in its depiction of various deaths, but I'm not sure what those critics would have had directors John Guillermin and Irwin Allen do. The story is about a giant skyscraper on fire, which means that the primary dangers involved are burning, falling, smoke inhalation and being buried under tons of debris. All of these are horrific, and "Inferno" conveys that horror.

The movie takes on a different hue than the Irwin Allen film it's inevitably compared to, "The Poseidon Adventure," the minute Steve McQueen arrives at the scene as the San Francisco Fire Dept.'s battalion chief, O'Hallorhan. Unlike "Poseidon," in which a small band of ship passengers follows a layman toward safety, the "Inferno" disaster is going to be taken on by a competent, experienced professional, leading other professionals. McQueen conveys an authority that anchors the film.

None of the acting struck me as truly bad, even in action-oriented scenes that called for broad playing. Aside from McQueen, my favorite performances were those of Susan Flannery and Jennifer Jones. Flannery makes the most of a small but memorable part as Robert Wagner's love interest, while Jones, looking very good for a woman of 55, plays the kind, heroic love of Fred Astaire's con man character.

Fred Koenekamp's cinematography received a well-deserved Academy Award, as did L.B. Abbott's special effects. The song "We May Never Love Like This Again," sung by Maureen McGovern, also won an Oscar, though I found it to be forgettable. "The Poseidon Adventure's" similar "The Morning After" is much better (which will certainly be faint praise to some).

John Williams' Oscar-nominated score would have been a perfectly reasonable choice as the winner, though Jerry Goldsmith's evocation of film noir classics for "Chinatown" was probably the year's best. Carmine Coppola and Nino Rota wound up winning for "The Godfather Part II."

Williams is in majestic form here. The main title is appropriately busy and exciting, the love themes for the Paul Newman/Faye Dunaway and Astaire/Jones duos are poignant, and the finale is one of the masterpieces of the art. This is a justifiably a favorite score among film music buffs, and Williams' greatest triumph, in my opinion, until "Star Wars" in 1977.

"The Towering Inferno" is a must for action film fans, and the finest representation of the "disaster film" genre.

The Glass Tower - tallest building in the world... on fire.
After a long vacation, away from the hectic city life, Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) returns to San Francisco in order to participate in the opening of his newest architectural wonder, The Glass Tower - tallest building in the world. The seemingly perfect skyscraper has one big flaw as James Duncan's (William Holden) son-in-law has received kick backs to ignore Doug's requests on the top-of-the-line electrical circuitry. The installed electrical circuits cannot handle the electrical use of the Glass Tower and on the opening night a fire begins on the 81st floor, which Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan's (Steve McQueen) men try to get under control while the opening party is taking place on the 135th floor. Towering Inferno has an immensely talented cast (e.g., Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain and many more), however, the cast cannot enhance the cinematic experience. Overall the film is hurt by the many scenes that go on ceaselessly as the director attempts to create suspense through tedious climbing and rescue scenes. This occurs through occasional lapses in realism in the film, such as the ending, prevent the audience from receiving a top notch suspenseful drama. Instead the audience is left with an epic rescue mission that seems endless, and leaves the audience with a barely acceptable cinematic experience. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Comedy and the Concorde
This has got to be the funniest of the Airport series. The only cast member remaining on board was Geroge Kennedy, and personally I think he should have bowed out of it. I brought to an end a long running movie series from Producer Jennings Lang, an excellent disaster film producer, but I can understand why he left after this one. The effects are cheezy even for that time, as the F-4 Phantom II and the cruise(!) missile look like someting out of a 1950's serial.(How can a Cruise Missile attack an AIRCRAFT?????) Not to mention the barrier net sequence with the Concorde, looking for all like the glorified model it was, making you laugh out loud even in the theater during it's theatrical run! None of the cast members, sans Kennedy really seemed to take the film seriously, and it showed. I mean even TV shows at the time had much better effects and writing!

Now with the crash and sorrowful deaths of 113 souls in the Paris crash of the Concorde, I just bet the Hollywood Disaster Machine jumps back on board, call Mr. Lang and regurgitates this series, possibly with Bruce Willis or Keanu Reeves, in place of Kennedy.

And can anyone explain why this is the only one not avalible on DVD??????

everyone got it wrong... not the Airport series.
this show has nothing to do with the Airport series.
everyone is wrong.
this is just a 60 min. show about the first men to fly the Concorde.

The plane starts to fall apart, and so does the movie
For the first 20 minutes of this endless film, I thought this would be a good movie. Then the problems started. Basically, the plot revolves around a female reporter who stumbles upon some illegal arms selling done by an American company to terrorists. Documents in hand implicating the wrongdoers, she hops aboard the Concorde on its flight to Paris and then to Moscow for the 1980 Olympics (which the Americans boycotted, but oh well).

One problem with this is the "Love Boat" casting for the plane. There's Jimmie Walker! He gets high in the bathroom! There's Charo, on screen for 1 minute! There's Emanuelle from those soft-core porno films! There's Martha Raye! There's Cicely Tyson! Her son needs a heart transplant, and she's taking the Concorde, along with the heart, to deliver it to him. Shades of Airport 1975 much (with the kidney transplant)? There's an old lady who has to go to the bathroom when she gets nervous! Isn't that funny? There's Patroni (George Kennedy) who has appeared in every Airport film. He's the pilot of this one, along with Alain Delon. "You pilots are such men!" snips the stewardess. "Honey, that's why they call it the cockpit!" Patroni zings. Score one for the male chauvinists!

There's also a missile or something that's trying to shoot down the Concorde, but the Concorde evades it and lands in Paris but the movie STILL ISN'T OVER. There's another hour and another flight and another dangerous crash landing to get to. The movie doesn't know what it wants to be - glossy international drama? Comedy? Disaster film? It turns into an unintentional comedy, especially with the incredibly fake scenes of a toy model of an airplane flying against a blue screened in shot of a sky.

High camp comedy? Yes! Exciting film? No. I suggest watching this with a bunch of friends and proving your own running commentary over it trashing the film.

VERY BORING!!!
All I can say is that this is probably the worst disaster film of all time, what got me confused and annoyed at the same time was silly additonal chatacters such as the jive ass with the saxophone,"We're Triplets," and the woman with the small bladder, "The Bathroom's Broken." And of course, Charo, "My hands Cold." Even George Kennedy's acting was off, but none of his bad acting in other films will be as bad as his acting in Airport 75! I think the Airport series should have stopped with Airport 77, I feel so bad now for even watching this film once, I definetly think this is a disaster movie gone wrong!

The plane that carried the Pope and crashed outside Paris
The "white tail" Concorde that was loaned to the film company for the making of this motion picture, was later used to ferry the Pope around on one of of his tours. Sadly, it was also the aircraft that crashed on take off from CDG in 2000 with a full passenger load of German holiday makers.

The plane had been in storage for a number of years prior to 2000. ... Read more